How does Refugium tank work

marks4470 · 11/26/2008, 09:36 AM

HI,

I purchased a 55 gallon tank and stand, so I could get the 45 lbs of live rock that was in it for $125.00. I still have the tank and it is drilled and has a hose that runs down to a big plexiglass tank with 2 seperate areas. I figure that its what everyone refers to as a refugium tank, but I am not sure how it works and what I need to do to get it up and running again. The 55 tank had live sand in it, but its been in the shop, in the cold for 2 months, so it most likely is dead stuff. The plexiglass tank has gravel and some type of cloth stuff. If someone could tell me how to get it going again and what goes goes where, that would be great. It came with a nice compact dual florescent light and all kinds of pumps, so I figure it would make a nice tank for a Lionfish and maybe an eel. Any help would be great. They dont talk much about those tanks in books.

stuccodude · 11/26/2008, 09:42 AM

that seems to be a sump, that you could make a refugium in. the good thing about a sump is you can put your heaters and skimmer and other stuff you dont want in your display tank and it adds more volume of water. i put a refugium in mine but most have theres separate, hope this helps

Playa-1 · 11/26/2008, 09:55 AM

Before you do anything you should realize that sump and Refugiums are all a little different. Some people use them for different purposes and so it's not a one size fits all piece of equipment. You should first understand what a sump/and Refugium is and how it benefits your tank. Then you can decide what's the best way to set it up for your situation. Here's some information and links to get you started.

Reefkeeping 101 â€“ Sumps!

Melevs Reef

Durso

11/26/2008, 09:36 AM	#1
marks4470 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: SPOKANE WA Posts: 44	How does Refugium tank work HI, I purchased a 55 gallon tank and stand, so I could get the 45 lbs of live rock that was in it for $125.00. I still have the tank and it is drilled and has a hose that runs down to a big plexiglass tank with 2 seperate areas. I figure that its what everyone refers to as a refugium tank, but I am not sure how it works and what I need to do to get it up and running again. The 55 tank had live sand in it, but its been in the shop, in the cold for 2 months, so it most likely is dead stuff. The plexiglass tank has gravel and some type of cloth stuff. If someone could tell me how to get it going again and what goes goes where, that would be great. It came with a nice compact dual florescent light and all kinds of pumps, so I figure it would make a nice tank for a Lionfish and maybe an eel. Any help would be great. They dont talk much about those tanks in books.

11/26/2008, 09:42 AM	#2
stuccodude Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: sanger Posts: 1,040	that seems to be a sump, that you could make a refugium in. the good thing about a sump is you can put your heaters and skimmer and other stuff you dont want in your display tank and it adds more volume of water. i put a refugium in mine but most have theres separate, hope this helps __________________ fear the wrath of patrick willis!!! no offense is safe. Current Tank Info: 240 all the goodies,hydra 26 led lights, chiller etc

11/26/2008, 09:55 AM	#3
Playa-1 Moved On Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Laguna Niguel, CA Posts: 7,497	Before you do anything you should realize that sump and Refugiums are all a little different. Some people use them for different purposes and so it's not a one size fits all piece of equipment. You should first understand what a sump/and Refugium is and how it benefits your tank. Then you can decide what's the best way to set it up for your situation. Here's some information and links to get you started. Reefkeeping 101 â€“ Sumps! Melevs Reef Durso